By the closing weeks of 10 NE, tensions across Kira's Kingdom had reached a boiling point from which not even the sudden return of the Emperor could bring the nation back. Three months after the end of the Second Confederate War, in March of 11 NE, the planets of Cybele, Demeter, and Feronia drove out their Imperial garrisons and declared themselves sovereign states, forming the New Kingdom Alliance.

In response, the Holy Empire of Kira's Kingdom mobilized its forces in preparation for total war upon the rebellious worlds. What was to follow would be a tale of courage, loyalty, and honor that would be told for decades to come. But it would as well be a tale of friendship, loss, and love, even across the lines of battle, that would go untold. This second tale, lost amidst the pages of history, is the true face of the Year of Rebellion. For it is relationships, not politics or ideologies, that drive people forward.
-Irene Koller, The Face of War, Introduction.

The Forges of War is a series of roleplays and stories by Gene Smith, detailing the events of the Year of Rebellion, a year-long civil war in Kira's Kingdom. The series is broken into multiple parts, with each focusing on different characters or settings. The series began as a roleplay on the Nations Roleplay Group, but later became inactive and was converted to its current format.

Holy War focuses on the Lord's Chosen, a Christian Force-order, and their conflict against both the Kira's Blades and government forces in an effort to force tolerance of Force orders other than Kira's Blades.